Singapore – A new survey from YouGov notes that six out of ten Singaporeans claim to have purchased things through social media sites. Facebook looks to be the most popular social media buying network, with four out of ten users admitting to using it for purchases (40%).
As a result, a quarter of respondents (26% each) claim to have made purchases via TikTok and Instagram, while a fifth (20%) have done so via YouTube.
Notably, a substantial 40% of consumers in Singapore state that they have not made any purchases through social media platforms.
A comparison of different age groups reveals interesting differences. Facebook appears as a preferred platform among older generations, particularly with 44% of Generation X users. In comparison, Generation Z has a lower proclivity to use Facebook for purchases, with only 22% using the platform for this reason.
Instead, Generation Z consumers have a stronger preference for TikTok, accounting for 46% of users, exceeding the usage percentages of other generational groups, such as 30% for Millennials and 23% for Generation X. Furthermore, both Generation Z (41%) and Millennials (37%) are more likely to use Instagram for purchases than Generation X (18%).
Consumers in Singapore tend to fall into distinct categories when it comes to buying frequency. The majority, 52%, are classified as occasional customers, meaning they make purchases on social media sites less than once a month. 36%, on the other hand, are classified as frequent purchasers, suggesting that they shop on social media more than once a month. A significant 11% are unsure about their shopping frequency.
Those who have engaged in such transactions may lack the commitment that leads to frequent buying behaviour, according to earlier statistics revealing that 40% of Singaporeans have refrained from making purchases through social media. Millennials are once again the most frequent purchasers, with 44% purchasing on social media more than once a month. In Singapore, however, the Generation Z population prefers occasional purchases, with 63% expressing a preference for this shopping frequency.
Within the category of frequent customers, Facebook is the most popular app for purchases, with 74% preferring it, followed by TikTok (58%), and YouTube (51%). In contrast, among occasional buyers, the distribution of usage shifts slightly, with 61% preferring Facebook, 41% preferring Instagram, and 38% preferring TikTok.
According to the study, the top reasons for prospective consumers to make purchases through social media platforms are cheap price points in comparison to other options and appealing discounts and promotions, both of which register at 52%. Other important factors influencing purchasing’ decisions include 41% convenience, 38% the capacity to analyse products in detail, and 35% the certainty of dependable customer service.
